Christian Eriksen’s first league aim of the season earned Inter Milan a 1-1 draw at Napoli on Sunday, transferring the league leaders 9 factors clear on the high of the Serie A standings.
In an exhilarating first half, Inter hit the woodwork twice however discovered themselves behind as goalkeeper Samir Handanovic diverted what seemed to be a cushty low cross into his personal web 9 minutes earlier than the break.
Inter, chasing a twelfth successive league win, stepped it up a gear within the second half, with Dane Eriksen arrowing a high-quality strike into the online within the fifty fifth minute.
Napoli hit the crossbar and thought that they had gained a late penalty just for VAR to overturn the choice, as Inter held on to maneuver on to 75 factors from 31 video games, 9 away from second-placed AC Milan.
“On other occasions we would have lost the game, we would have fallen after that goal we conceded,” Inter coach Antonio Conte instructed Sky Sport Italia.
“Instead the team reacted, they are there, they know their means and never lose their way. We faced a complete Napoli, a team that I considered among the best equipped to win the Scudetto.”
Today we gave Milan two factors of their chase, however I feel we will permit for this because it was a hard-earned draw.”
Gennaro Gattuso’s Napoli stayed fifth, however closed to inside two factors of champions Juventus in fourth.
With AC Milan incomes a slim 2-1 win over Genoa earlier on Sunday, Inter’s lead on the high had been reduce to eight factors as they confronted an actual take a look at in opposition to a Napoli facet who had gained 5 of their final six league video games.
Conte’s workforce had probabilities to take the lead within the opening interval, however Romelu Lukaku might solely divert the ball onto the crossbar from shut vary, earlier than Eriksen’s deflected freekick got here out off the upright.
Napoli then edged in entrance, and it was an actual mess from Handanovic, as he let Lorenzo Insigne’s cross squirm from his palms and again into his personal aim.
After Eriksen had arrived proper on cue to interrupt his Serie A season duck, Inter settled in for a degree, figuring out each one earned would take them a step nearer to a primary Scudetto in 11 years.
But they rode their luck as Diego Demme thundered a strike onto the underside of the crossbar, earlier than the referee elected to alter his unique choice to penalise Stefan de Vrij for a foul within the penalty space.
